1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a technical field of an electrical connection device, and specifically, to a connector and an electrical connection device including a latching element provided in a plug element, constructed so that, when a socket element and the plug element are not properly connected, electric contacts of the socket element are short-circuited by each other, and when these elements are properly connected, the short-circuited state between the electric contacts is removed.
The present invention is suitable especially to be for being applied to an airbag system. Hereinafter, application to the airbag system will be described mainly, however, the present invention is also applicable to a wide variety of uses and environments.
2. Description of Related Art
An airbag system includes an airbag assembly attached to a section that cannot be observed from the outside of a driver's cabin of a vehicle and an electric or electronic control system, and these control system and airbag assembly are connected via a wire harness (general term of cable processed products). Herein, the airbag assembly includes a squib (airbag igniter) for igniting an airbag. Then, to realize an easy electrical connection between the control system and the airbag assembly which are attached separately to predetermined positions, the wire harness is provided with a connection device. As this connection device, for example, connection devices described in Japanese Published Unexamined Patent Application No. 2002-324638 (Document 1), Japanese Patent No. 3650034 (Document 2), and U.S. Pat. No. 5,275,575 (Document 3) are known. These connection devices include a plug element (second component) to be inserted into a socket element (first component). The socket element is a housing, etc., of an inflator, and has a concave portion (socket) into which the plug element is inserted.
The connection device includes a short-circuiting element, and this short-circuiting element is provided with a short-circuiting piece. This short-circuiting piece is a metal member arranged so as to electrically short-circuit two leads with each other before the plug element and the socket element engage with each other. Such a short-circuiting piece is provided as a safety means for preventing erroneous operation of the airbag assembly due to a charge leak and erroneous connection during manufacturing of the airbag assembly.
When the connection device is completely properly connected, the short-circuiting piece as a safety means is moved to a non-short-circuit position. In Document 1 and Document 2, a connection device including, as a mechanism for releasing this safety device, a latching element movable between a first latching position and a second latching position is disclosed.
These connection devices are structured so that, until both components (plug element and socket element) completely engage with each other and the latching element moves to the final latching position (second latching position), electrical connection is not completed. The latching element has a function of preventing erroneous disconnection of these components after the components are integrated in the connection device. The latching element is provided with a pushed portion (ceiling portion) to be pushed. The connection state of the connection device can be easily confirmed by confirming a rising height of the pushed portion with respect to the plug element main body.
In the connection device described in Document 3, a two-stage operation is necessary to push the latching element in, however, in the connection devices of Document 1 and Document 2, the latching element can be pushed in by a one-stage operation.